Policing in relation to sex work and trafficking for sexual exploitation in London

Policing often harms sex workers. That’s not up for debate – copious academic research and sex worker-led advocacy and research demonstrate that. But it is not actually clear why law enforcement behaves the way it does. Few researchers have seriously studied the motivations and justifications for police action when it comes to sex work, or asked what lies behind the police’s continued reliance on methods that hurt the people they claim to help.

A recent UCL research report explores the landscape of sex work in London and how policing in relation to sex work and trafficking for sexual exploitation is perceived by key stakeholders inside and outside of policing. The research project was commissioned by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to support them in developing evidence- based strategies for policing in relation to sex work and trafficking of adults for sexual exploitation in London (also known as Operation Evergreen).

Read more and download report